


Of Logic and Perception

by Kherianne



Category: Dr. STONE (Anime), Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Character Study, Conversations, F/M, major manga spoilers up to chapter 122
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-24
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-11-02 13:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20756408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kherianne/pseuds/Kherianne
Summary: Kohaku confronts Senku about what she thinks is his weakness.





	Of Logic and Perception

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I actually wrote something non-explicit for the first time in years!

"Kohaku?"

It's a bright, sunny morning on Treasure Island, the weather perfect for departure. Everyone's busy preparing for the journey back to Ishigami Village where Senku intends to keep his promise to depetrify Tsukasa. Kohaku, shouldering two huge bags of food, is helping load up the ship with provisions. Upon hearing her name called, she stops and turns to look at Amaryllis, the beautiful girl they've come to befriend on Treasure Island. 

Amaryllis is wringing her hands, looking a bit upset. "Is something wrong?" Kohaku asks, placing both bags down.

"I- I- I'm going to miss you!" A pair of slender arms suddenly wrap around Kohaku, engulfing her in a tight hug. She's shocked at first. No one besides Ruri has ever hugged her and she freezes for a few seconds, but a gentle expression soon settles on her face, and she warmly returns the embrace, causing a round of sniffles from Amaryllis.

"We'll see each other again, I promise. We'll come visit. Or you can come visit us," Kohaku tells her. "I overheard Ryusui and Kaseki sharing the plans of the ship with the village artisans. With science, we can overcome distance."

"I- I know. That's what all of you taught us." Amaryllis smiles at her through watery eyes. "Take care of him for me, okay?"

Kohaku's brows knit together. "Who?"

Despite her teary face, the other girl rolls her eyes. "Who else? Senku!"

"Ehhh... He can take care of himself, better than anyone actually."

"Kohaku!" Amaryllis' eyes narrow. "Are you really just like him?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" She can't _possibly_ be any more different than Senku. Unlike Chrome, she's not a science person.

"Well, he's never affected by my beauty. I tried many times. I'm really cute, you know." Amaryllis sighs dramatically.

"Ermmmm..." Kohaku sweatdrops.

"Which doesn't make sense. Is he not attracted to women? Are you the same? Don't you have feelings?"

"... I don't think one is necessarily related to the other—" By now, Kohaku's face looks distinctly deadpan.

"Still! Just, just promise me you'll look after him. He might be humanity's only hope." With Amaryllis looking at her intensely like that, there's no way Kohaku can say anything else.

"O-okay."

***

_Don't you have feelings?_

They're currently in the middle of the sea and in just a few short hours, they'll be back at Ishigami Village. She's on lookout duty, perched on the highest part of the rear mast, where her keen eyesight would be of most use. Somehow, the words stick to her head and refuse to leave. Not even travelling by sea, still a fairly novel experience for her, could distract her enough to forget the thought.

_Well, of course I do._ She hates to admit it but she's practically one of the most hot-blooded and impulsive people in the village. She can't stand seeing her friends hurt or captured, as evidenced when she nearly rushed alone to save Chrome, or when she had to be physically restrained when Ryusui's statue was being destroyed by Ibara.

Then there was Ruri. She would literally do _anything_ for Ruri, even get herself disowned by their father.

To be honest, she feels like she cares _too much_. There's been too many situations where her emotions got the better of her and she rushed in without thinking. Top among those was challenging Tsukasa, getting defeated and getting herself trapped under a tree. If not for Senku's timely arrival, who knows how long before anyone else found her. 

And there was that time that Gen had to bail her out with that "third-rate display" fake kiss with Senku. Not one of her proudest moments, for sure.

Speaking of Senku...

Her eyes fall to the deck, and even without her excellent eyesight, it's easy to pick him out from the crowd. His hair alone was like a beacon._ How in the world does he keep it standing like that, anyway?_

She won't pretend that she doesn't understand what Amaryllis really meant. She admitted as much to Mozu, during their confrontation, when he asked her what her type of guy was.

_Strength of the heart. Able to endlessly, step by step, hack away at something for what they believe in. That's the kind of guy I'm attracted to._

She knows, and acknowledges, that she's attracted to Senku. It's almost, word for word, the exact same thing she told him the day they met. The past year spent with everyone, ever since he arrived at their small village, was the most exciting experience of her life and for the first time, she feels like she has a bigger purpose to fulfill. She's watching the future of humanity unfold right before her very eyes.

And it wouldn't have been possible if she'd never met Senku.

***

"You know, I think I finally understand something."

For the moment, they're alone at the communications room, having just informed Ruri of their impending return and expected time of arrival.

"Ha?" Senku gives her a sidelong glance. "Care to explain that?"

Kohaku looks straight into his eyes. "The first time I met you, you said that a brain full of love is the most illogical of things."

Senku raises a brow. "It is. So?"

"So you've trained your brain not to be affected, not to feel emotions. You outwardly reject any kind of affection and keep yourself apart from people."

"I'd hardly call building a kingdom of science keeping myself apart from people."

"Physically, no. But emotionally, you hold yourself at a distance."

Senku's eyes narrow. "What's your point, Kohaku? I already said it's illogical. Love is illogical. Emotions are illogical."

"That's exactly it. You say it's illogical but I saw it. You sacrificed yourself for Yuzuriha even if it was the illogical thing to do for science. When we needed sulfuric acid for the sulfa drug, you wanted to spare Chrome from danger when you knew full well it was more logical to ensure your own safety first. You built a vehicle intending to carry the elders so that they wouldn't have to walk. You act like you don't care, but you're not really unaffected at all, are you?"

They stare at each other for a long while. She doesn't mean to be so confrontational. It kinda just came out like that. An apology is on the tip of her tongue but then Senku smirks, crosses his arms over his chest and leans against the communications console. "Has Gen been training you or something?" He asks. "You sound amazingly invested in analyzing me. Wanna tell me why?"

He's baiting her but Kohaku refuses to take it. Guess she should just say what's on her mind. "You're afraid."

That wipes the smirk off his face. "Come again?"

Kohaku takes a step towards him. "Your weapon and your shield is science. Always has been and always will be. That means, you're afraid of anything science can't explain. Like emotions."

_Like love..._

Senku simply stares at her. She can almost visualize the gears in his head turning at record speed, processing her observations. At length, he uncrosses his arms and places a hand on the wall right next to her ear. His expression is unreadable and Kohaku thinks she might have crossed a line. But his voice is calm when he says to her, "You think you've got me all figured out, haven't you?"

He leans close to her, trademark smirk back in place. When he speaks again, she can feel his breath fan her ear. "You're right. I can't entirely get rid of my emotions. It's part of what makes us human, after all. I'm not infallible. But you got one thing wrong, Kohaku. I'm not even one millimeter afraid. When we save all of humanity, and finally get to the bottom of the petrification mystery, I'll prove it to you."

"And until then?" She asks.

"Until then... well, isn't it obvious? It'll be trial and error."

Kohaku grins. "I figured it'd be something like that. I'll look forward to it."

"You can ten billion percent count on it."

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda want to write more for these two but I have trouble coming up with ideas. If you got a prompt, please let me know. Actually, concrit or comments about my writing in general is welcome, too. Just please don't be too harsh. ;)


End file.
